Healthy Choices Starts With the Parents
By Opal Tribble • Jan 30th, 2008 • Category: NutritionYou’re so lucky Opal. Your daughter eats vegetables! That’s a comment I hear often. Some of the people are having a hard time getting their children to consume more vegetables and fruit. At times, I’ve found that the same people don’t really think about the role they play. They want their children to eat healthier; however, the example they are giving their children is confusing. They continually choose junk food to satisfy their own hunger. Why in the world do they think their children will choose something that is strange to them? This was the question I asked my acquaintance. Surprisingly they had never thought of it that way before.
My daughter is only four years old and looks to me for guidance. Realizing the impact I can have on the food choices she might make later on in life I know the importance of getting her on track now. We talk about the foods that we eat and the impact they have on our bodies. Since my diet consists mainly of whole foods eating vegetables daily doesn’t seem strange to her. I eat as close to the natural food source as possible. Eating a lot of vegetables and fruit doesn’t seem odd to her because she sees mommy do it every single day. In fact, the processed snacks that many people consume don’t appeal to her. She’ll sniff the food and put it down. Even before I made the switch to vegetarianism in 1992 I always made healthy choices; however, I noticed when I made the switch to vegetarianism I became even healthier.
People at times are turned off by things they don’t understand but that shouldn’t be used as an excuse. If you don’t know about something take the time to learn. Educate yourself. That means the amount of processed foods I consume is very low. As you can see from some of the recipes, I’ve shared it doesn’t have to take a long time to make a nutritious and delicious vegan meal. I don’t have that type of time. My meals are quick and usually on the table in less than 10 minutes. That’s important to me.
Changes isn’t always easy and at times people need to take baby steps to meet their goals.
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This is so true! People are surprised my 20-month-old doesn’t go after cookies and candy. He doesn’t go after them because they’re not there to go after! If we’re somewhere where those sorts of things are offered, he doesn’t beg for them - but let a banana get in his sights and there’s no holding him back! To him, that is the granddaddy of sweets!
Good article!
Very insightful article. My sister can’t belive that my toddler will eat sweet potatoes. Well, duh, she sees her parents eating them, why wouldn’t she? I enjoyed reading your post.
I enjoyed your post and it’s so true. My son eats anything from sushi to vegetables and has always tried new foods since he was a baby. Sometimes even just flavoring the veggies with dressing or seasoning makes the kids like em more. Try uncooked broccoli with a tiny bit of wishbone italian dressing in a jar. Shake it up and keep it in the fridge as a snack.
That is so true! I also hear the same thing. Vegetables are yummy, it all depends on the parent, and the way they cook them of course.
I’m not vegetarian, but I agree with you that its the parents faults. Kids these days are all fat and alot of times its because they eat junk for lunch at school and tons of sodas and do little excercise. Thats how it was in my high school back in the late 90’s.
- Paul