Grab every opportunity to instill good eating habits while your kids are young. Getting them to help cook in the kitchen is a great way to do this. So go ahead and put on your aprons, pick up your mixing bowls and whisk up a healthy future for your loved ones. Bon Appetite!
How many of you have been caught up in making “convenient” and “kid friendly” meals like me? With 4 young children, I have even made 2-3 different meals at a time to accommodate all their eating preferences. Crazy, right? I’m like my own little food court. Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, tacos, pasta, turkey bacon, cereal, mozzarella sticks and on and on. It’s like a processed food party where everyone gets sick. 😦
Can you imagine our parents doing that? Not on your life! It was “you eat what is served or go hungry”…or in my case, not leaving the table until I cleared my plate. Do you think that in pioneer or colonial times children would have tons of meal options? Can you imagine Laura telling her Ma she didn’t want the meal that she had worked hard to prepare all day long?! I don’t think so!
One of the problems parents face today is giving in too easy and settling for quick and convenient packaged meals or fast food for their kids. So what can we as adults do to get our kids to eat healthier?
First, change what is in your cabinets. Keep forbidden and processed foods out of sight, out of mind and out of your home!
Second, start by changing just one meal at a time for a while. For example; make paleo friendly pancakes for breakfast instead of regular ones, introduce veggie and fruit smoothies, then slowly incorporate healthy new options replacing gluten filled cereals, toasts, muffins, etc. Then move onto lunches.
Third, talk to your kids about healthy choices. Teach them to read their labels. If it has more than 5 ingredients, or you don’t know what the ingredients are, it’s a “no” in our house. If there is corn syrup, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, glucose, dextrose, etc. it is not allowed. Yup, that means no twinkies…No nutrition in any of those kinds of things.
Fourth, Be prepared! Always have real and healthy food choices accessible and ready at all times. Keep a bowl of grapes/fresh fruit in the fridge, nuts in the car and homemade snack packs (larabars, dehydrated fruit, beef jerky) always with you. Plan ahead and prepare your food in advance so you always have a meal to grab and go.
Fifth, let the kids help in the kitchen. Kids are much more willing to eat food that they helped to prepare. Plus it is a wonderful bonding opportunity 😉
Remember they are kids, not adults. They do not need as much food as an adult and we need to get out of the mindset that they must clean their plates. When they are full, it’s ok for them to be done.
Oh and final a brief note on fast food, don’t waste your money or affect your health by eating there. It will literally take you 5 minutes to run into a grocery store and hit the salad bar for a healthy option on the go when you are in a pinch. Where there is a will, there is a way and if you want the best for your kids, clean eating is the real meal deal!
So yummy and nutritious! My 1st “granola cereal” since becoming Paleo. The taste is amazing it has Almond milk, topped with fresh fruit. So full of flavor too.
Rub chicken with olive oil, parsley, garlic, pepper, hint of sea salt, rosemary and grill. Serve with sautéed veggies and a side salad. Makes a Paleolicious dinner!
As hard as it is to post these before pictures, it’s even harder to believe that this was what I looked like just a few months ago. Wow! I was truly shocked.
But let’s face it…paleo works. Not only do I physically look better, my health has improved 100%. I would love to help you on your path to a happier and healthier life. Slow and steady! Love your reflection and keep going in the right direction!!
That’s how we do it! Any questions?
1 bunch of Kale (de-stem & remove hard center ribs)
1 tsp of olive oil or melted coconut oil
dash of sea salt
Rinse kale and dry. Toss in oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread Kale flat on baking pan and bake for 20 min. at 300 degrees. Watch closely as Kale burns quickly. Chips will be crunchy.
Variations:
add garlic and cayenne/paprika/chipotle for smoky BBQ taste
apple cider/balsamic vinegar for salt and vinegar flavor
try curry, coconut, chili, pepper or thai seasonings
you can also try swiss chard, collard greens or spinach
So I have mentioned in my 1st blog, what my driving force was to go Paleo, but so many people ask me how I did it. The answer is simple, one step at a time. Here is how I went from GLUTEN GIRL to PALEO PRINCESS.
In Feb. 2013, I started out giving up one of my all time favorite beverages, diet coke. Then in April 2013, I decided to give up all sodas, all artificial flavored waters and all fast food. I was feeling better already and knew that my body was responding positively to the changes.
So what was next for this carb queen to do? Now I have to say that I was a pasta loving, bread indulging, cereal junkie and processed foods snacker…BIG TIME! NEVER did I think I could live one day without these things…but guess what, you can. Shocking I know, but once you change what you put into your body, it no longer craves those items.
At the end of May 2013, I knew it was time to say goodbye to gluten. So I started out trying a few gluten free pastas, breads, snacks and treats. Most supermarkets have a well stocked gluten free product line in the health food aisle. Plus gluten free menus are available at most restaurants if you just ask. Thanks to a co-worker, I decided to get rid of all white flour, white sugar and began making smoothies. (More on these another day) 😉
In June 2013, I began reading a lot about the “Paleo/caveman” lifestyle. The writing was on the wall and I knew I was going primal. I gave up dairy (including milk my second most favorite beverage-I consumed a gallon every couple days) and all processed foods (even the gluten free stuff). I switched to raw whole foods, organic fruits and veggies, grass fed meats, free range eggs and nuts. I was wild about my abundance of food options and what I could eat.
So here it is July of 2013 and I am LOVING my paleo life…learning new things everyday (so much of what we have been taught is a lie-more on this soon) and trying out new recipes. I can’t tell you enough how great I feel, how different I look and how easy it is to do ( and I have 4 young very active kids and work, if i can do it, you can too-no excuses!)
So what is on the horizon for me? Adding a workout regimine that is free, effective and in phases. It’s time to get physical, tone, train and condition.
Fitness finds favor with this female and I will forge ahead to whole body health…one step at a time!
Spinach, banana, strawberry, raspberry, almond milk, lemon juice, flax seeds, water and ice.
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