Bad Food Environment

What about the food police?

Dr. Andrew Weil: “Well, I guess one of my reactions to that is, tough. You know, kids are kids, and they are not necessarily in charge of their own destiny. And I think we have a responsibility as parents to enforce, if necessary, better foods for people, when the costs of what's happening are so great to us.You know, obesity is the surface of this. We are already starting to see an epidemic of adult onset diabetes in children diagnosed as young as 7. We are going to see an epidemic of a disease that most Americans have never heard of called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. This is fatty liver, terrible consequences. We are going to see this. From eating too much.

Parental Control and Discipline

For a good book on this subject, see Food Fight, by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., a primer on how the food industry and environment affect weight and food choices.

Like it or not, parents have to devote resources to their kids food environment and dietary habits. It takes time, energy, money- one or more of these, at least. You get out what you put in. Bucking the trend is hard.

For the sake of your children, start early to instill food choice values and give children early exposure to wide palette of food choices.

Practical Tips

All this takes commitment, but it need not be odious. Make a commitment to eat together much as possible. Also, kids love to cook- teach them.

All this instills the values of a strong health foundation for the future. The Healthy Kitchen, by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley is full of easy, healthy recipes.

Make changes gradually and consistently- abrupt change does not work.

When you switch to high fiber natural foods, you will have gas at first in quantity. Take it slow, or risk swelling up like a blimp!

Do your research. Become educated, take classes and apply what you learn. You’ll get there.

General Dietary Selections

Creatively seek out alternative food choices.Shop various natural food stores and try a variety of choices- expand your sources for better options in taste and use (natural food need not taste like cardboard).

Don’t bring it home. Stick to your commitment. If junk food is not in the cupboard, it can’t be eaten in a moment of weakness.

Shop in advance for natural alternatives. Keep the pantry stocked with only natural alternatives.

Initially introduce alternatives in a familiar form. Tofu pups, organic pizza, veggie sausage and spinach pasta are all great transition choices.

Presentation

Kids are much more likely to try a new food if it seems like fun, like veggie funny face pizza. When you go for the new foods, present them as simple, not mixed choices. And present consistently- it takes many, many exposures until a child will try a new food. Keep up and be consistent. It will happen. Start with finger foods (tofu slices, rice balls, sushi rolls).

Expanding Choices

OK, OK, here we are- vegetables. Put on your creative hat. Try them raw, in soups and as vegetable juices. Allow odd combos- become friends with green beans with mustard. Mix vegetables into other food, like a cream soup- start miniscule, and increase so gradually they are not noticed.

Sugar

Simple- don’t have it in the house. Limit it to special occasions- once started, it’s difficult to stop. Instead, go for nutrient dense alternative sweeteners, including rice bran syrup, date sugar, molasses, barley malt syrup and amazake.

Alternative Grains

Quinoa, millet, spelt, kamut, teff, amaranth- all these taste great, are easy to find now, and add substantially to the nutritional variety for the family.

Salt

Salt is not evil, and we all need some of it, but, as a culture, we have developed the habit of over consuming this important nutrient. Substitute Bragg’s Aminos, garlic, herb mixes and tasty spices.