Calling all parents! Tooth decay, childhood obesity, and lifestyle-related illness ALL continue to be on the rise. If you have high health hopes for your children, I beg you to rethink what they're eating daily. Our brains are so able to reset our food preferences around what we decide to eat day-in and day-out. So eat intentionally - to fuel your body - and soon you will wonder what took you so long to enjoy healthy foods.
Here are some quick-start tips to be healthier:
GET ALL THE LIQUID SUGAR OUT OF THE HOUSE
This includes juice! It's the #1 contributor to #malnutrition in children and is as bad for your pancreas and liver as straight-up soda pop. Instead buy real fruit. Wash it and cut it up so everyone will eat it. Fruit in its natural form sugar packaged with its #fiber makes all the difference in the world in reducing the risks of both tooth decay and diabetes.
PUT THE SUGAR BOWL BACK ON THE TABLE
That really means stop buying sugared #breakfast cereals. Consuming sugar in that quantity is addictive and poses a risk of insulin resistance and fatty liver disease, not to mention decay. Kids will never add as much sugar as the food manufacturers do.
SWITCH FROM COMMERCIAL PEANUT BUTTER TO NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER
Hydrogenated fat, while it extends the shelf life, it is not good for our bodies. Look for the #PeanutButter with one ingredient: peanuts! Turn unhealthy food into healthy food overnight. Your kids will love you for it within three weeks.
EAT REAL FOOD!
Stay away from processed, packaged, and fast food. They're laden with #calories, fat, #sugar, and chemical preservatives. If you wouldn't serve it to your dogs (because you are afraid of the mess they might make on the floor) chances are you shouldn't feed it to your children. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean proteins are the building blocks for good nutrition.
EAT ON SMALLER PLATES
Then wait 20 minutes before the second helpings are served. It's a great way to have family conversations at dinner also. Stop eating when you're no longer #hungry, instead of when you're full.