As a dietitian, I am used to seeing the consequences of food on people’s health. I see people with excess weight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, excess weight, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, etc. on a regular basis. I also have had the fortune of watching these same people restore their health, control their weight, and reverse chronic disease by changing the composition of their diet. This is the nature of the biz….
…But as a Mom, however, I have officially reached the apex of excruciating frustration….
I was put over the edge recently, when my son was handed a snack pack of oreos and goldfish crackers with a bag of juice-like liquid as the post-game snack, dutifully provided by another kid’s Mom. Being the neurotic, over-concerned Mom/Dietitian that I am, I quickly snatched the items out of my son’s hands and snuck them back in the other Mom’s bag before she even noticed what happened. Yes, that may have been a reaction that was beyond rude and I did cause my son to cry and feel deprived. My husband all but cursed me out and blamed me for making our kid the one person on the team who was left out. But why should I feel obligated to enable my son to bond with his teammates over high fructose corn syrup, trans fatty acids, and artificial colors? Why is that the new normal? Why am I the bad guy for trying to protect my child from the deleterious effects of eating C.R.A.P. (Calorie Rich And Processed food, according to my dear friend Chef AJ)?
This issue has come up on a regular basis since I became a Mom a few years ago and started the typical rotation of birthday parties, school, and sporting events, and it has been a sore point of contention between me and my kids’ teachers, other parents, relatives, and even my own husband. I am constantly told the following justification tactics:
- “They’re kids…they should enjoy themselves.”
- “It’s just a little bit, here and there.”
- “It’s a special occasion.”
- “Let them feel normal.”
I have even been accused of “forcing my beliefs” onto my children unfairly, since I happen to be a passionate advocate for a whole food, plant-based diet…But this issue is not ethical nor is it unfair. It stretches beyond plant-based versus non-plant-based and it is – in fact – a matter of life and death. We are killing ourselves and our children with the foods we are eating and providing our families. Is it because we don’t have the information? Is it because we think a little bit can’t hurt? Is it because so called health food is not available or is too expensive? Or is it because we see this standard American diet as normal? After years in the health industry, I am betting it is a little bit of all of these reasons. But I also believe that the last option predominates. Normal is as normal does and our idea of normalcy has shifted with our growing landscape of increased chronic disease and obesity. Because children are growing at such a rapid rate, their bodies react even more dramatically to assaults from toxins than adults do. They are more vulnerable to this incessantly continuous dosing of toxicity. Researchers predict that more than half of the population in the United States will be obese by the year 2030. Diabetes incidence is rapidly increasing in children. Behavioral disorders, like ADD and ADHD, are dramatically higher than ever before. Is this the normal we want to adapt to? We have been…as we make larger airline seats, hospital gurneys, and even coffins to compensate for the new normal size.
I am writing this as a plea…to all the Moms and Dads out there…the grandparents, teachers, sports coaches….we are at a tipping point. We have the chance to redefine normal. Let’s be the revolutionaries and reclaim our children’s health and their future. Let’s make a ground-breaking paradigm swap. It doesn’t have to be difficult….here is what I propose:
- Send your child to school with homemade lunches and/or demand your school cafeteria provide healthful whole options that look appealing to a child’s picky gaze. For a bunch of ideas on my favorite healthy snacks for kids, click here. For more ideas of packing a healthy lunch, click here.
- Opt for nourishing post-game/workout snacks like fruit and water. Or, if you want to fancify it, try coconut water and a healthy bar. For delicious and more creative snack ideas, check out blogs like Plant-Powered Kitchen, Lunch Box Bunch, or Oh She Glows.
- Talk to your kid’s teachers and band together with other parents to choose treats other than food for birthdays, holidays, and as rewards.
- Ignore everything on a nutrition or food label except for the ingredients. If you can’t pronounce it or if there are more than a few (4-6-ish) ingredients, put it down and walk away.
- Educate yourself about nutrition myths and intentional misleading initiated by the food industry. Excellent authors on food policy topics include: Michele Simon, Andy Bellatti, and Marion Nestle.
- Share this information with your peers, friends, teachers, kids, coaches, family, and anyone involved in your family’s world.
Remember that food habits and culture are fundamental to a person’s identity. It all begins in the home and the tone is set for life beginning during childhood. Role model and institute the new archetype. As Gandhi so gorgeously iterated…
This Post Has 14 Comments
You humble me. Not long ago, I would have repeated all those justifications for feeding junk food to kids. Shared on Facebook and Twitter.
The basketball league in my town has given up snacks and that is a big part of why my boys play on that league. Hear, hear. I wrote a blog about it. http://wp.me/p25nZD-LN
This is an awesome site… enjoy
we are what we eat and I am a mass of mush. it is hard to break the carbs, sugar diet that we learned to eat from our so well meaning parents and society. I don't know how to get my taste buds, or brain to prefer a plate of greens rather then a peanut butter cup. I don't how to eat any other way but "Normal."
It just takes a retraining of the palate….usually it takes 3 weeks because your taste buds renew in just that time…try setting aside 3 weeks and watch the magic unfold…
Just emailed this great article out to a bunch of friends. Change begins with us!
Thank you so much for sharing, Cyndi! It takes a village!
I'm in need of plant based parenting advice! I've always taught my daughter to read labels and how to make healthy food choices. Recently, due to ulcerative colitis & pericarditis flare … I've converted to the plant based diet. My 11 y/o chose a vegetarian diet 3 years ago after watching food inc. She is still opting for dairy & fish. I'm not sure if I should force her to make the switch to plant based only or keep trying to gently persuade her. She eats and enjoys all vegan meals but still opts for Dairy & fish at restaurants or when visiting friends. York feedback is greatly appreciated !
Look at the overall of her diet…encourage her, taunt her with delicious foods, and role model for her and she may start to notice how much better she feels when she sticks to the whole plant foods…it takes time for many people…
Thank you so much for being you! People around me think I am being ridiculous with the healthy choices I am making for myself and my kids. Almost everyone thinks my kids need milk and meat to live. Keep sharing all this fabulous and truthful knowledge!
Kids DO NOT need milk and meat to be healthy. They need calcium and good sources of protein and B12, all of which have better sources than milk and meat.
Thank you, Karen Leventini Hansen! We have been taught the USDA food pyramid and it is not good for our bodies! No wonder our nation has so many who are sick!
Try not to worry about what others think the numbers of people who are learning better are growing. Soon you will be in the majority. That is why I do what I do.
Thank you so much, Amber and cheers to you Karen and Kallie! Team effort!!!